I was horrified and angered by the papers on assisted suicide (1-5). These papers acted as an apology for physician-assisted suicide.

Each year, I give my medical ethics students a copy of the Oath of Hippocrates—the original oath, not the watered-down version. The oath states, “I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked nor suggest any such counsel, and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion.”